{"id":685,"date":"2015-03-05T07:00:52","date_gmt":"2015-03-05T07:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/betondinner.com\/?p=685"},"modified":"2018-02-11T01:37:36","modified_gmt":"2018-02-11T01:37:36","slug":"how-i-make-baby-food-and-stay-sane-6-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betondinner.com\/how-i-make-baby-food-and-stay-sane-6-months\/","title":{"rendered":"How I Make Baby Food (and stay sane): 6 months"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is not a post to tell you what\u00a0to feed your baby, or to toot my baby food making horn. But I’m in the midst of the pureed food stage with my youngest, and have learned a few things that are making my life easier this time around. So – if you want to make baby food at home, read on!<\/p>\n

THE MOTIVATION<\/h1>\n

My main reason for making baby food at home is to have control over the freshness<\/strong> and taste<\/strong> of the food. But also: store-bought baby food is expensive, man. Here’s a quick price comparison on a couple of\u00a0items.<\/p>\n

Squeezy pouch of organic apples<\/strong> (3.5 oz) – $1.39 or $.39\/oz<\/strong><\/p>\n

2\u00a0lbs of organic apples<\/strong> (yielded 24 oz) – $2.99 or $.12\/oz<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gerber container of [not organic] peas<\/strong> (7 oz) – $1.09 or $.15\/oz<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bag of [not organic] frozen peas<\/strong> (yielded 16 oz) – $1.29 or $.08\/oz<\/strong><\/p>\n

As you can see, whether you choose to do regular or organic fruits and veggies, store-bought food can cost\u00a0about 2-3 times as much as making it at home. If you have a tight grocery budget, that’s significant savings. If money isn’t an issue, but time is, you can look at buying your baby food as a small monthly investment to make your life less insane. ;o)<\/p>\n

\"Pur\u00e9eing<\/a><\/p>\n

THE METHOD<\/h1>\n

The tools you need are simple, and you probably already have them.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1.\u00a0A pot and a steamer basket.<\/strong> (You probably don’t need anyone to tell you how to steam something, but there are links to lots of recipes below in the Resources section.)<\/p>\n

2. A food processor and\/or blender.<\/strong> (I use these interchangeably – the food processor is perfect for fruits and veggies that get really tender, like apples, pears, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. We have a Ninja blender and the single-serve smoothie cup attachment is\u00a0great for things like peas and green beans because it gets even their skins extra smooth.)<\/p>\n

3. Ice cube trays.<\/strong> (Mine are cheapo plastic ones. I freeze the puree for a couple of hours – or let’s be honest, until the next time I open my freezer – then dump the cubes into freezer bags!)<\/p>\n

\"Homemade<\/a><\/p>\n

Build up a freezer stash gradually<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n

Our doctor recommends waiting a few days between introducing new foods, which gives you the perfect opportunity to build up a freezer stash of a variety of foods over a couple of weeks.<\/p>\n